Rostra Economica

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Rostra Economica

Rostra Economica has been a part of student life since 1953. Building on its long and rich history as magazine of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Rostra has evolved and joined the world of New Media with its digital platform: www.rostraeconomica.nl. Rostra is always available and shares new content almost every day.

Our creative editorial team, which represents students of the FEB, contributes with articles from a wide range of disciplines and interests. In these articles, you can experience a variety of content including issues that move our economy, interviews with interesting people, columns about the university life, and much more. The aim of our magazine is to provide students with information that is relevant and indispensable, meaningful and understandable. We invite every student to read and join the discussion. Rostra Economica is made by students and for students, with the focus of sharing insights, challenging ideas and providing engaging content.

The History of Rostra Economica

Rostra Economica was founded in May 1953 as the new magazine of the faculty study association (SEF) of the faculty of economics at the University of Amsterdam. Its formal purpose was to provide current information and to publish, mostly, academic articles. However, the magazine also served as a means for students to reflect on the faculty. Through contributions by professors it connected the academic community at the faculty. Over time, Rostra Economica became an important part of the SEF, and a burden on the budget of the association. At one point, Rostra Economica represented over 90% of its budget.

To make the magazine financially sustainable, economics students of the University of Amsterdam and the VU University Amsterdam decided to cooperate. In 1965, at its 52nd edition, the magazine was renamed Rostra Economica Amstelodamensis, now published for both universities in Amsterdam. The marriage did not last long. In 1968, the magazine was discontinued after an argument between the SEF and the editorial board on the future cooperation with the VU. An attempt to start over was funded by the University of Amsterdam. The magazine, now called Rostra, started publishing again in 1970. It was a short magazine, hardly four pages long, and not at all appealing to students at the faculty. It seemed the magazine had lost its right of existence.

The new editorial board of 1972 did not agree with that notion. With a new layout and renewed enthusiasm to be more than an announcement bulletin for the SEF, the magazine gained new life. Topics were increasingly less academic and focused more on current affairs in economics and at the university. In 1981, the magazine celebrated its 100th edition. The magazine was again named Rostra Economica in 1986, a name it has retained until now. Under its new (and old) name, the magazine pushed on towards its 200th edition in 1994 and its 50th birthday in 2003. The magazine featured more and more interviews with key figures in economics and politics, from Nout Wellink to Mark Rutte.

Although the history of Rostra Economica has been vibrant to say the least, the magazine has gone through some of its biggest changes in the last 5 years. In 2010, Rostra Economica was published in English for the first time. Recent changes in the media landscape did not pass by for Rostra Economica unnoticed either. When the magazine arrived at its 300th edition in 2014, it was clear that the future of the magazine is online. This academic year, Rostra Economica launched its new website, providing more content at a higher frequency. It is by no means the final destination of the magazine, as it continues to adapt to any challenges that the future brings. However, throughout the history of the magazine, there has been one constant. Rostra Economica is made by and for economics and business students, and it will continue to do that, regardless of the platform. It is a magazine with a rich history and a bright future ahead.

What can I learn as a committee member?

As a member of Rostra Economica, you will further develop your writing skills in the English language. In addition, you will learn from other editors and will experience working with strict deadlines. As a member of Rostra Economica, you will have the freedom to write and delve into topics that you will not usually run into.

Testimonial

Brunno Fontanetti – Rostra Marketing Officer (2016-2017)A philosophy teacher which I had in high school once said that giving people advices is unethical, simply because the person giving the advice won’t be the one suffering the consequences of it. With that in mind, I would like this testimonial to be less of a motivational text for you to join Rostra, and more of a portrait on how and why Rostra helped me to get where I am right now.
When I applied to Rostra, midst November 2015, I had one aspiration: to become an editor. None of the “upper” positions really seduced me, since at the time my sole objective by joining the magazine was to improve my writing skills and have a place where I could display my thoughts about things that I found interesting. However, when I received a call from Sefa asking if I wanted to work with Rostra, I was offered the Marketing director position. At the time I hated the idea: working with marketing was something I had never imagined myself doing; also, what would that mean to my plan of developing my writing skills?
Well, I can definitely say I have never been more wrong. Working as a marketing director, I discovered a whole different set of skills which I had never imagined to have. Designing posters in photoshop, organizing marketing campaigns and such were just a few of the skills I developed during my time in Rostra.
The position I held in Rostra was crucial for me to get hired as a marketing intern in a chinese start-up company here in Amsterdam. Not because of the title it appeared in my curriculum, although I must admit that must have had a weight on the decision, but because by writing down my ideas I was able to know myself better and organize what I had to say in a more efficient and clear way. Writing is healthy, but writing with critical open-minded minds is a pleasure.

Information

Hours per week (editors):

6-8

Hours per week (managerial team):

12-16

Committee period:

Continuous

Size of the committee:

Variable

Recruitment period:

Throughout the year

Dutch required:

No

Committee Positions

As Editor-in-Chief you are responsible for the entire content of the magazine and the organisation of the committee. You read all articles, and make sure that the content fits the vision of the magazine, while you also make sure there are no mistakes in the articles themselves. Furthermore, you chair the weekly meetings, and support the committee members with their writing ideas and progress. All in all a very exciting position, as managing such a diverse team is a pleasant but real challenge!

As Secretary & Treasurer you are responsible for all practical matters, such as the room reservations and minutes of the meetings, the budget of the magazine, and you help the Editor-in-Chief with managing the team. Besides of that, you are also an editor, and therefore write articles as well.

As an editor you write articles for both the online magazine and the two paper editions that come out every year. You can interview interesting people from the business world, the government or the university. You are also free to write research articles, opinion articles and book reviews. Develop your writing skills in English, learn from other editors and learn how to deal with strict deadlines.